Dragon Age: Inquisition

[kofeiiniturpa]

Just keep in mind, people will do this to Witcher 3 and CP2077, too, and then the shoe will be very much on the other foot.

Oh yes, they definitely will.

But from the point where I am standing, it doesn't really matter. Witcher 3 and CP2077 are games I have an active interest in and I will be judging them by their own merits regardless of where the shoe is, and it can well end up in either foot in the end.

DAI was just a thing I was "passing by", so to speak. Had I been actually interested beyond seeing if the tactical camera works and if they have managed to cobble up something at least semi-interesting, I would've tried it myself regardless of the vitriol.

Ah, in any case - the way I see it - nothing was lost.

I would say, though, that the prejudices people had were certainly justified if they were based on previous experiences with Bioware. It's an unfortuante personal trait if one can't look past them should they be noticed as false.

 

[Sardukhar]

And, unlike Bioware and DA, CDPR still has an excellent reputation. Deservedly.

I just hope W3 is amazing, because if not, the CP2077 forums are going to be really...interesting later.

 

[ReptilePZ]

Now I kinda wish TW3 isn't amazing...

Damn you, Sard.

 

[kofeiiniturpa]

And, unlike Bioware and DA, CDPR still has an excellent reputation. Deservedly.

I just hope W3 is amazing, because if not, the CP2077 forums are going to be really...interesting later.

They have.

I'm kinda hoping Witcher 3's potential awesomeness or awfulness, which ever way it goes (hopefully for the better, obviously), doesn't do anything on CP2077.
It's, to me, sort of a no win situation both ways if we get a forum full people yelling "they fucked up Witcher, how could they ever manage this" or "Witcher did this, Witcher did that, these must be in CP2077 verbatim or else shit, shit, shit, betrayal, mischief, wrong". Yeah, well, so there's some hyperbole there, but the drift's clear I think.

 

[Sardukhar]

Now I kinda wish TW3 isn't amazing...

Damn you, Sard.

Oh, I am. I am. I mean, I presume. Given how the universe works and all. I figure I'm actually the most likely reason why 2077 will suck or be cancelled. Because I want it worse than anyone other than Wisdom and because, well, you know. Me.

They have.

I'm kinda hoping Witcher 3's potential awesomeness or awfulness, which ever way it goes (hopefully for the better, obviously), doesn't do anything on CP2077.
It's, to me, sort of a no win situation both ways if we get a forum full people yelling "they fucked up Witcher, how could they ever manage this" or "Witcher did this, Witcher did that, these must be in CP2077 verbatim or else shit, shit, shit, betrayal, mischief, wrong". Yeah, well, so there's some hyperbole there, but the drift's clear I think.

This is going to happen. I can only hope those people, disappointed and frustrated customers they may be - and trolls, of course, always, always trolls - are drowned out by the more reasonable remainder. Those of us who remember it's just a game, it's not perfect, it's going to have bugs, it's going to disappoint you, you're going to be frustrated. Because that's life, kids.

On a related note, despite the flack Bioware gets for their writing, I just heard this line, delivered with verve by a character about to die, "You have as much time as I have arrows. Get going!"

I liked it.

 

[Suhiira]

Well having put about 90 hours into DA:I so far (and not even being close to the end ... I'm doing EVERY mission in the game) I have to say:

The graphics are AMAZING (and this on a supposedly sub-par 3 Gig single-core, 6 Gig of RAM, GTX 580 played on high ... getting about 40 FPS).
As you saw from the Iron Bull scene someone linked the writing definitely has it's moments of greatness (and of course a lot of so-so).
No "healer" class in the game, but it's built with that in mind so it's not really a problem like some people think it is.
I can't comment on the main story-line as I'm maybe half way thru it, but seems OK so far.
They decided not to confuse people with character stats and non-combat skills. But you still decide how your reacts to things so it's an RPG ... technically.
The tactical combat system DA:O was famous for was tossed right out the window for a moron-friendly version that works about as well as you'd expect.
INTENSE micromanagement of all four party members will be essential at levels of difficulty above normal due to the tactical system.
Tho I don't use a controller I gather those that do are thrilled with the Tac Cam, however the PC version of the game controls are a VERY bad port of console controls and the PC version of the Tac Cam is outright broken and nigh unusable. Meaning that at higher levels of difficulty on a PC you fight the controls and Tac Cam more then you do the MOBs. But you're in luck if you own a controller for your PC (which I don't) as they are supported.
The semi-action game combat system makes playing melee characters "interesting". Mages and archers however have no such problems. So the "best" party in the game is 1 Tank (essential), 1-2 archers (you do need a rogue class at times), 1-2 mages (also needed at times).

I give it a 7/10 ... 4 for graphics, 3 for writing, 0 for combat system.

 

[Sardukhar]

I would give it 8/10 only because I enjoy the combat system on Hard and never need to use Tactical. Well, almost never. Sometimes the camera gets stuck behind a doorframe - pesky thing. I don't use a controller.

I found DA:O combat also fun, but more mechanical and less fluid than DAI.

Anyway, yeah, on Hard I have no issues and I rarely pause, but good party and ability selection is essential. I spent awhile running different combos and ability sets before I settled on my two or three favourites.

Other than your obvious dislike of real time combat systems, I'd say we agree pretty much.

 

[dragonbird]

I would give it 8/10 only because I enjoy the combat system on Hard and never need to use Tactical. Well, almost never. Sometimes the camera gets stuck behind a doorframe - pesky thing. I don't use a controller.

I found DA:O combat also fun, but more mechanical and less fluid than DAI.

Anyway, yeah, on Hard I have no issues and I rarely pause, but good party and ability selection is essential. I spent awhile running different combos and ability sets before I settled on my two or three favourites.

Other than your obvious dislike of real time combat systems, I'd say we agree pretty much.

I saw something about it having script-based combat for the uncontrolled party members, like the earlier games. I don't suppose you've had the chance to try it out, have you?

Oops. Just realised Sue mentioned it.
Any more info?

 

[Sardukhar]

I saw something about it having script-based combat for the uncontrolled party members, like the earlier games. I don't suppose you've had the chance to try it out, have you?

Oops. Just realised Sue mentioned it.
Any more info?

You can set priorities for what abilities your party members use, use more and don't use, but running attack-only-if scripts I haven't figured out.

Interesting post on combat plans on Nightmare.

http://gaming.stackexchange.com/que...ge-inquisition-combat-on-nightmare-difficulty

 

[dragonbird]

You can set priorities for what abilities your party members use, use more and don't use, but running attack-only-if scripts I haven't figured out.

Interesting post on combat plans on Nightmare.

http://gaming.stackexchange.com/que...ge-inquisition-combat-on-nightmare-difficulty

OK. Interesting. So is it something that's likely to encourage experimentation, or duh, always set it this way because it's OBVIOUS what the priorities should be?

 

[Sardukhar]

OK. Interesting. So is it something that's likely to encourage experimentation, or duh, always set it this way because it's OBVIOUS what the priorities should be?

I change it up. Depending on what I'm fighting, I either want Solas to go defensive or offensive. If I bring Dorian, my second mage, I vary between high priority for Static Cage or for Fireball, ( whatever it's called...AoE fire attack) or Mines.

My tank is currently rigged to use War Cry often...not sure how that's working out.

I mess with Iron Bull the most...he has a lot of attacks but they suck up Stamina something fierce, so sometimes I'll have him High Priority Earthshaker ( with fire!) and sometimes not at all, which lets him get off a second Mighty Blow.

Really depends on if we're smashing enemies or fighting carefully.

 

[Suhiira]

I saw something about it having script-based combat for the uncontrolled party members, like the earlier games. I don't suppose you've had the chance to try it out, have you?

Oops. Just realised Sue mentioned it.
Any more info?

No script-based combat at all.
As Sard said all you can do is set party members to use, not use, or prefer their various abilities.
As I said, they tossed the intricate and VERY well made (with patches/mods) combat system out. Apparently the DA:O system was too complex people complained ...

There are uses for the three settings.
You probably want your tank to "prefer" their taunt skill, your mage to "prefer" their party shield (called barrier) spell, and if you're fighting a fire dragon you'll want to tell your mage "not to" use fire spells.

If your character is a mage or archer and you let the AI run the tank (as with most games it's a tad boreing to primarily absorb damage) so it can "react" to NPC movement/position shifting (which is about 50% faster then character) the game plays fine.
Trying to play a melee character is mostly an exercise in frustration due a number of factors, no one of which is really bad, but collectively they make it VERY difficult to actively run a melee class character.

 

[dragonbird]

Trying to play a melee character is mostly an exercise in frustration due a number of factors, no one of which is really bad, but collectively they make it VERY difficult to actively run a melee class character.

But I assume that if you make your Inquisitor a melee character, you can "play" a mage in your team during combat and let the AI handle the Inquisitor? I used to do that in DA:O before the mods came out that made the scripting actually work.

 

[Suhiira]

But I assume that if you make your Inquisitor a melee character, you can "play" a mage in your team during combat and let the AI handle the Inquisitor? I used to do that in DA:O before the mods came out that made the scripting actually work.

Yup, sure can.
In fact in most difficult fights I let the AI run my (melee rogue) character and play an NPC archer, Sara or Varric.
I'm not sure if letting the AI run mu character results in higher DPS (probably as it never has facing issues) but I do know she dies a LOT less, really hard to do any damage when your face is in the dirt.

 

[dragonbird]

I started a DA:O run out of nostalgia, all this talk of combat scripts...

So now I have to know. Are Bodhain and Sandal in DA:I?

 

[Jack_in_the-Green]

I started a DA:O run out of nostalgia, all this talk of combat scripts...

So now I have to know. Are Bodhain and Sandal in DA:I?

They arent.
And I think it's one of the few things they did right. If you make some humorous side character you should live it alone. Cant make the same joke 1000 times. It doesnt work. And if you try to "develope" that character (as they did in DA2) it also doesnt work. You cant develope comic relief into fleshed multidimensional chars. At least Bioware cant. Maybe Tell-Tale.

 

[dragonbird]

Did the mystery about Sandal's background ever get resolved in the post-DA2 DLC's? That was the main reason I was interested.

 

[Suhiira]

Did the mystery about Sandal's background ever get resolved in the post-DA2 DLC's? That was the main reason I was interested.

Not really. There's a strong hint that he just might have abilities beyond enchantment tho
BUT!
There are major and minor NPCs, depending on your decisions in DA:O/DA:2/DLCs, that appear in DA:I (I won't give away just who).
Personally I liked Wade and Hirrin.

 

[kofeiiniturpa]

As you saw from the Iron Bull scene someone linked the writing definitely has it's moments of greatness.

What in the name of.....

That scene was equal to what an emo goth teen in highschool with too much Dawson's Creek in mind would write....

The tactical combat system DA:O was famous for was tossed right out the window for a moron-friendly version that works about as well as you'd expect.

I'm kind of aching to put a smug emoticon right here.
Just as I expected.


The next gen requires even more dumbing down that the last gen, even with all the new tech. :S

 

[Suhiira]

I'm afraid if you're looking for Dostoyevsky you're not likely to find him working for computer game company.
A little light humor goes a long way toward making a game fun. I take it you found the original Fallout to be "emo goth teen in highschool" as well?
Besides, Bull with another male is very mild compared to what he does with a female character,